The 116th Air Control and Warning Squadron, based at Otis Air Force Base in Massachusetts, was a unit of the 32nd Air Operations Group, an Air National Guard component of the United States Air Force.
In the early morning hours of October 28, 1994, one of the unit’s primary assets, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, crashed in a remote area of Minnesota woods while performing a training mission. All six personnel on board were killed in the accident.
The helicopter was part of the 116th’s Helicopter, Air Combat Command (HAC) mission, responsible for providing airborne command and control, airspace surveillance, and targeting data to air operations centers.
At the time of its operational deployment, the 116th Air Control and Warning Squadron was responsible for the “doomsday” readiness of the United States’ air defense systems, primarily dealing with the potential threat of a Soviet nuclear attack.
The accident, one of the most significant aviation accidents in U.S. Air National Guard history, highlighted concerns about the readiness, maintenance, and training of the unit. The incident ultimately led to significant changes in helicopter safety standards and procedures throughout the military.